According to prior art, data files comprise audio, video, audio and video, still images, text, interactive programs, etc. These data files are stored in hierarchically organized data file systems, organizing the data files in directories and subdirectories. In large data file systems comprising thousands of files, a huge number of files exist, containing a vast amount of data, and a large data file system quickly becomes difficult to manage. A way of managing the huge amount of files and data in large data file systems is by means of metadata. Metadata is data about data. Examples of metadata are: file name, file type, file length, creation date, but also author, keywords in a text document, album name of an image, etc. Metadata thus gives information on one or more file(s) stored in the data file system. In such, metadata can help user(s) or application(s) to find their way in a data file system and to access it. When metadata is used for accessing files of a data file system, metadata is extracted and index data is created that relates extracted metadata to files of the data file system. This index data is then stored for later use. The index data allows fast lookup of files based on metadata. The process of creation of index data is also called indexing of a data file system. Indexing thus is the process of scanning a data file system in order to extract metadata and the relation of the metadata with the files of the data file system and to store the metadata and the relation of the metadata to the files of the data file system for use by a user and/or application. From a large data file system important amounts of metadata and file relational data are extracted. Extracting metadata and creation of index data is not sufficient for easing the management of a large data file system. Current tendency to interconnect devices with each a separate data file system in a network adds to the complexity of the management of the files stored on these devices. Shared network storage devices then offer the advantage of allowing centralized storage of content shared between devices connected into a network, for example organized in a LAN (Local Area Network).
According to prior art, devices of such a network each have their own indexing system. This implicates that each client does its own data file system scanning and its own metadata and index storing. Then, index data and metadata can not be shared among clients of such a network. This is a waste of resources in terms of storage and processing needs.
According to prior art, the creation of user- and/or application defined metadata is limited to metadata proposed by applications managing the metadata, thereby limiting the power of the management of the data file system for users and/or applications.
According to prior art, metadata is accessed via a dedicated API (Application Programming Interface), thereby restricting access to metadata and thus the access to files of the data file system according to metadata to applications implementing the dedicated API.
According to prior art, there is no way to organize the layout of a data file system according to related metadata.
Thus, the prior art does not allow an optimized access to files of a file system according to metadata.